About Julie

Julie is a Texas-born missionary kid that grew up in New Zealand and finally found her way back to Lone Star state, by way of Missouri and Tennessee. Back in the DFW area, she met her worship pastor husband, Jake, in 2011. In 2013, Julie gave birth to a feisty little boy named Jude. In the summer of 2016, Ella Jene was born and balanced out the family. Julie loves good coffee, thrift stores, and occasionally faking a New Zealand accent. She is also a teacher, a singer, a songwriter, an Alabama fan, a traveler, and a Jesus follower. She considers herself to be an expert in food, music, and mistakes. Julie tells stories about her life and the people in it over at The Potluck Diaries.

I have mom friends that have put things on hold, too. They have put off master’s degrees and writing novels and mountain climbing. We have all given up something. So, what’s a mama to do when these dreams have shifted or paused or are canceled altogether?

The flavorless crumbly mounds of flour and water you have had before do not deserve to be called scones. So just brace yourself. Here they are, the world’s best chocolate chip scones. (Or at least the best I have had.) Merry Christmas and Meri Kirihimete.

The thought of my children growing up and not really being impacted by his life makes me sad. So, I am a mom on a mission to keep my dad’s memory alive for my children. Here are some ways you can do the same.

Five years later, we are still using those same principles, with some flexibility, now that we know what works for us. I am not an expert in finance, and our strategies were simple. Here are some practical things that helped us reach our debt free status.

Then I had my first baby. And you know what I found? Breastfeeding was so hard. Physically hard. Emotionally hard. That baby had a terrible latch. I couldn’t pump enough milk to cover the bottom of a bottle. I was exhausted and hormonal. And I knew that all of those breastfeeding supplies meant nothing if […]